Mystery donor drops gold coin worth thousands in Salvation Army bucket
Staff brought the anonymously donated coin to be appraised and learned it was worth $4,100. (The Salvation Army Barre, Vermont)
A Salvation Army location in Vermont recently received an unexpected and heartwarming surprise among its holiday donations.
The Salvation Army of Barre, located roughly six miles from the state capital of Montpelier, discovered a gold coin hidden inside a taped-shut dollar bill that was dropped into one of its Red Kettle Campaign buckets, NBC5 News reported.
Staff brought the anonymously donated coin to be appraised and learned it was worth $4,100, according to the outlet.
"We are sincerely grateful for this generous contribution," Salvation Army Barre Corps Lt. Caitlin Lyle-DeLong told Fox News Digital in an email.
Lyle-DeLong added, "All donations assist individuals and families in our community by helping them cover essential needs such as heating, housing and nutritious meals."
The surprise gift comes as the Salvation Army of Barre works toward its $55,000 fundraising goal.
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So far, the location has reached about 30% of that total, and staff say the gold coin provided a much-needed boost, according to NBC5 News.
This Christmas season, Chicago’s Salvation Army also received a batch of eight gold coins as part of the charity's annual Red Kettle Campaign.
The combined value of those coins could be more than $10,000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
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The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign began in 1891, and from November through Christmas Eve, the organization’s red buckets can be found outside thousands of storefronts nationwide.
"Sharing your donation at Christmastime helps The Salvation Army care for homeless and needy families, but also helps serve over 27 million people through a myriad of other services all year long," the charity states on its website.
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